


A Midnight Affair

by ladyromanova



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-14
Updated: 2013-02-14
Packaged: 2017-11-29 07:16:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/684308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyromanova/pseuds/ladyromanova
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Clint proposes a duel. Natasha accepts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Midnight Affair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [noahawk](https://archiveofourown.org/users/noahawk/gifts).



> Warning: I cannot write action sequences. It's absolutely dreadful. This includes a lot of summarising movements.
> 
> Dedicated to Noa ♥  
> Happy Valentine's day, darling.  
> I apologise in advance for how bad this is.
> 
> [ Edit!:  
> Because Noa is the cutest ever, she drew some art inspired by a particular part.  
> The link is in the fic.  
> Have fun. ]

The pair wordlessly enter their room, exhausted. Clint slumps onto the couch immediately, and Natasha slowly climbs onto it with him, laying her legs across his lap.  The guns have been abandoned on the table, and their skin is riddled with scratches; bruises beginning to bloom.

This was a terrible idea.

\------

“This is a GREAT idea, don’t look at me like you disapprove. I know you, Nat. You’re definitely excited.”

“This is preposterous.”

“Yeah, yeah. Put on the vest.”

Natasha shrugs the thick black material over her torso.

“If we’re going to play this, we need some stakes.”

Clint grins. He knew she’d warm up.

“Are you thinking what i’m thinking?”

A smile tugs at the corner of Tasha’s mouth.

\------

THE RULES:

1) If you get shot, you must remove an article of clothing.

2) After removing the clothing, you and your opponent have thirty seconds to escape the region.

3) If you attempt to shoot your opponent within those thirty seconds, you must remove an article of clothing.

\------

Clint's phone vibrates (loudly) from within his pocket. He startles for a moment before rushing to silence the device.  He is barefoot from his last encounter with Natasha. His boots are in the kitchen.

[1 NEW MESSAGE]

Romanov: _"This is much more romantic than flowers. My Prince Charming."_

\------

They meet on floor five and do battle whilst maneuvering around board rooms. Natasha slides across a table, but isn't quick enough to miss Clint's shot.

She strips of her shirt. The vest covers enough of her torso anyway.

\------

Natasha has her back pressed against a pillar in the lobby. The cold stone is extremely uncomfortable without a shirt. However, the game is still afoot, and when she thinks about Russian winters, the stone suddenly begins to feel warm.

She speedily types a text and sends it off to Clint. A minute passes. All is silent. He must be on another floor.

Tasha sprints to the elevator, quickly presses the button to head up to the lounge, keeps her gun steady and her finger ready on the trigger.

\------

Clint is in Bruce's lab, crouching behind a lab table. He's nearly knocked over three pieces of Scientific Equipment Stuff. This was a terrible course of action. He'd should've gone to the gym instead. Why is there so much glass in here?

"Psst- Jarvis"

"Jarvis- answer me, man." 

"Come on, help a bro out."

_"How may I be of assistance, Mister Barton?"_

_"_ Where's Nat?"

_"Sir, I believe that would be considered cheating."_

_"_ Okay; where _isn't_ she?" Clint winks. He knows that Jarvis can sense/"see" the motion. There is a moment of silence in which Clint believes a long-suffering sigh would be befitting. If it were to have happened, he is of the mindset it could possibly rival Coulson's. Coulson's long-suffering sighs were the best.

_"Miss Romanov is not in the library."_

\------

Miss Romanov is hiding in the lounge, and not, in fact, the library. Where Barton is currently perching atop bookcases (he had assumed the location was a wink and a nudge from the resident android) (Jarvis is programmed to be entirely honest and helpful) (Barton thought that Tony was a bit more sly than that) (his expectations were incorrect).

\------

[1 NEW MESSAGE]

Barton: _"What makes you think this is supposed to be the romantic part? It's barely two hours into the day ;)"_

\------

They next meet in Tony's lab.

Natasha rolls behind a counter, dodging Clint's shots. He slides behind another one as she takes a few at him.

After a few minutes (and more than a few broken test instruments) a shot makes a hit; Clint begrudgingly removes his shirt.

"These laser guns can NOT be entirely accurate," he complains. Natasha knows he's only worried because he has three articles of clothing remaining, while she has five.

"You chose the game, Barton. And the opponent," she laughs.

\------

Within the hour, Natasha's boots are left on the roof, Clint's socks in the pool, hers on the front desk of the lobby. Both pairs of pants were abandoned on equipment in the gym (a stand-off worthy of medals, Clint jokes) (he just couldn't help himself and shot Tasha a second time).

In the movie theater, [Tasha manages to remove her bra without taking off her vest. Clint attempts to hide his disappointment. ](http://timespaceprincess.tumblr.com/post/43212894000/for-kenna-who-wrote-me-this-awesome-thing-for)

Natasha smirks before disappearing down the corridor.

\------

They end up in the lounge.

Five hours into the game, the pair don't even bother to hide. They whip out their laser guns, hold them directed pointed at each other's chest targets.

They fire.

Only one chest piece flashes red.

"Do I have to?" 

"Drop them," Natasha states with a deadly serious expression (but the mischievous glint in her eyes tells otherwise).

He does.

\------

After a couple minutes of silence, Tasha pulls her legs off of Clint's lap and sits so she can rest her head against his shoulder.

He leans forward and pulls a sheet of paper from under the couch- SHIELD logo bold on the corner.

A mandated vacation period of four days, from thursday the fourteenth of february lasting until the eighteenth.

"How did you manage this?" Natasha raises an eyebrow.

"Pulled some strings. Happy Valentine's day, partner."

She snakes her hand around his neck and pulls him in for a long kiss.

"Much more romantic than flowers."


End file.
